Tina Wilson, PTRC’s new water monitoring coordinator, joined Jim Long and others from the Mattawoman Watershed Society on Sunday in sampling for anadromous fish eggs at five locations in the Mattawoman Creek watershed. Anadromous fish are those, like yellow perch and herring, that migrate from the sea to fresh water to spawn. The team also measured water temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen levels.

It was a bracing day to be outdoors, with gusts of wind high in the trees and swift currents in the creek and its tributaries. There were vernal pools at almost every site and many contained clusters of frog and salamander eggs. The spring peepers and wood frogs could be heard in the surrounding woods.

PTRC will be participating in the Stream Waters program sponsored by Maryland DNR this year, beginning in the next couple weeks. We will be sampling for benthic macroinvertebrates. These insect larvae, worms, crustaceans, and other small critters live in stream sediments and are indicator species of stream health. Contact ptrc@porttobaccoriver.org if you would like to help out.

Casino Royale Featuring Sam Grow Band!

Real Money Games, Silent Auction, and Much More!

Save the date, Friday, March 27, 2015, 7:00 PM- 11:00 PM. It could be your lucky night!
This year’s spring fundraiser will be held at the Greater Waldorf Jaycee Center and will feature the Sam Grow Band, returning home to Southern Maryland from Nashville for one evening.
The Jaycees will offer their signature heavy hors d’oeuvres including crab cakes and carved roast beef.
Tickets are $50 each or 10 for $475 and include a free glass of wine, beer or soft drink. Buy your tickets online at porttobaccoriver.org (top, right sidebar) or email ptrc@porttobaccoriver.org
Enjoy a wonderful evening while supporting the Port Tobacco River Conservancy in its efforts to protect and restore the Port Tobacco River and its watershed.

Tomorrow’s meeting with Kirk Mantay is POSTPONED due to the weather. We will let you know when we have a new date for this meeting. We did go visit South River Federation today and had a great time. Kirk Mantay had so much information to offer. We can’t wait to have him here for his presentation.

PTRC has signed on to a letter written by the Smarter Growth Alliance for Charles County (SGACC) to Mr. Steve Ball, Director of the County’s Department of Planning and Growth Management, commenting on a study the County is conducting of the area in the vicinity of the Maryland Airport, a privately-owned, public use airport in western Charles County. The letter recommends conservation of the area due to its ecological sensitivity as well as public safety concerns with residential development in proximity to the airport.

Port Tobacco River Conservancy is teaming up with the Alice Ferguson Foundation for the 27th Annual Potomac River Clean Up on April 11, 2015 . Please come join us to have fun and to help make our river more beautiful.

The American Physical Society (APS) selected Port Tobacco resident and PTRC President Dr. Jerry W. Forbes for the 2015 George E. Duvall Shock Compression Science Award. Forbes is Senior Scientist at The Energetics Technology Center, Inc. (ETC) in St. Charles, MD, and Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. APS established the George E. Duvall Shock Compression Science Award in 1987 and grants the award annually to individuals in recognition of their contributions to understanding condensed matter and non-linear physics through shock compression.

The 2015 committee recognized Forbes “for his advances in shock-compression science involving phase-transformations, high explosives and detonation physics; for extensive contributions to the shock physics community through mentorship and teaching; and for service to the Shock Compression Topical Group.” In 2012, Forbes published, “Shock Wave Compression of Condensed Matter: A Primer (Shock Wave and High Pressure Phenomena),” which introduces the core concepts of the shock wave physics of condensed matter, taking a continuum mechanics approach to examine liquids and isotropic solids.

In addition to serving as President of the Port Tobacco River Conservancy, Jerry sits on the advisory boards of the College of Southern Maryland Nonprofit Institute and the Horticulture Committee of the Stethem Educational Center.